Apparatus for molding compound



LQ F. vvILsoN.

.APPARATUS FOR MOLDING COMPOUND.

APPLICATION FILED lAus.29, I92I:

31542897889 menasepn M1922.

n vI i f`y. y

NJL

man

LYNDON I?. WILSON, OIF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR DIOLDING- COMPOUND.

Application filed August 29, 1921.

To all /w/wm t 'may concern:

Be it known that l, LYNooN F. lViLsoN, a citizen ot the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county ot Cook and Stato of lllinois, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Apparatus ier Molding (lompollnd, oi' which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to an apparatus :for melding plastic compounds, and has more particular reference to the molding of what are known as boiler compounds,77 which consist oi chemical compositions adapted to be placed either in the locomotive tenders or directly in the boilers themselves ior the purpose of co-unteracting certain undesirable constituents carried bythe water in some localities and which are very injurious to the boilers and detrimental to their operation unless the water is treated with a compound.

Compounds et this `general character are now marketed in the itorm oit sticks adapted to be introduced directly into the boiler through a plug hole or in the Jorm et bricks or blocks which are introduced into the tender or other source oi water supply to the boiler. The sticks usually weigh about one pound and are su'tliciently small in cross section to permit ot their introduction into the boiler, and the bricks customarily weigh about live pounds.

Prior to my invention, it has been the practice to mold both the bricks and the sticks in individual molds ot' the requisite sizes and proportions. Obviously, however, the initial cost o'f the molds and the labor and expense involved in handling them makes the manufacture ot the compound quite expensive.

One ot' the primary purposes of my'present invention is to provide a bed over which the compound may be spread in large sheets or slabs, the bed being so constructed and shaped that when the slab has dried or become setI it may be loosened. trom the bed and then broken along predetermined lines ot cleavage by simply tapping it with a hammer along these lines into bricks of' the required size and also intosticks, it desired.

Another obj eet of my invention is to provide an apparatus comprising a series of duplieate members which may be readily assembled to provide a hed of any desired size,

Y which apparatus shall he very simple in conn Serial No. 496,227.

struction and economical to manufacture and assemble.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of my invention will be readily appreciated the same becomes better understood by reiterence to the followingdescription when considered in connection with the aciizompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a fragmentary plan view of a` mold bed employed in my method;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View on the line 2-2 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a compound brick produced by my invention.

Referring new to the drawings more in detail, it will be observed that my invention contemplates the provision ot a corrugated bed upon which the compound in plastic condition is molded. The bed herein disclosed is of veryy simple coi'istruetion, comprising two longitudinally extending' angle irons 5 and 6 disposed in parallelism with their horizontal flanges projecting inwardly. These angles serve as supporting members tor the bed proper and may rest upon any suitable supports such as stringers or timbers 7.

The. bed proper is composed ot a series ot angle irons 8 disposed in parallelism and in contiguous relation between the side members, the ends of the angle irons resting upon the horizontal flanges oft the side members 5 ando. It will be observed from Fig. 2 that the angle bars 5 and 6 are larger than the angle irons S so that the vertical flanges oil? the-bars Aproject above the plane et the crests et the angle members 8, thus forming side walls iter the bed between which the compound 9 may be distributed over the bed to a depth somewhat in excess ot the depth of the angles 8. The end angles are equipped with upright'tlanges 'il extending upwardly substantially flush with the tops oi the supportingangles 5 and (i and provide end walls for the mold. The supporting angles 5 and 100 G are drawn together in close relation to vthe ends oi the bed angles S by any suitable means, and in the present instance, l have shown a connecting rod 12 equipped with a turnbuckle 13 by which the members may be 105 drawn together and clamped against the end et the angles 8.

In molding with the improved apparatus disclosed, the requisite number of bed angles sticks by simply tapping it with a hammer 8 to produce the desired size of bed are laid upon the supporting angles 5 and 6, asv

shown in the drawings, and the 4whole structure is then clamped 'together as explained. A mass of the compound in plastic condition is then distributed over the bed thus formed and its upper surface is smoothed off and reduced to a predetermined level by running a straight edge 14 longitudinally yof the bed along the upper edges of the supporting angles 5 and 6, as shown in Fig. 2. This fills all of the V-shaped channels formed by thev corrugated bed and reduces the thickness of the `mass to a predetermined depth above the crests of the bed angles so that a large slab of the compound may be poured and molded at one operation. The bed angles 8 may obviously be of any desired length, but preferably for convenience in manufacture, I make them longer than the desired ylength of bricks or sticks which are to be molded, and in the presen-t instance, rI have illustrated them as twice the length of the desired brick. vAfter the compound has been poured and smoothed as described, it is cut longitudinally of the bed along a central line, indicated by reference character 15. This cut may extend to the bottom of the channels or may terminate above the bottoms since the material whenrhardened, can be readily fractured along the line of cleavage thus produced.

y The compound is then permitted to kset or harden in a large slab, depending upon the size of bed employed and when it has suiiiciently set, a tool is inserted at one side of the bed between the slab and the bed angles, whereby the slab may be brought up and slightly lifted from the angles. Since the slab is of minimum thickness immediately above the crest of each bed angle, it will be obvious thatthese lines of'minimum thickness afford lines of cleavage along which the hardened compound will readily break. l/Vhen the slab therefore hasbeen lifted from the channels at one edge, a sharp tap of a hammer or other tool along one of these lines of cleavage will cause the compound to break along this line, and in. practice, I prefer to break the slabialong every fifth line of cleavage, producing a brick 16 substantially as shown .in Fig. 3. By this method, the entire slab may be quickly broken into bricks which may then be packed for shipment.

Shipment of the compound in bricks is cheaper than shipping it in sticks since there is less liability of breakage and less packing is required. The compound therefore reaches the consumer in bricks and'if it is desired for use in the tender or other tank, a whole brick is dropped into the receptacle. Should it be desirable to use the compound in stick form, which can be inserted intothe boiler itself, a brick may be. readilyvbroken into the individual molds, and in addition, the) removal of the material from the mold or bed can be effected much quicker and cheaper than it can from individual molds which require that each mold be separately lifted and inverted to release the brick therefrom. My invention therefore contemplates the employment of standard angle irons for-the construction of the mold bed and provides an economical method which can be speedily carried out in the production of the composition, and affords a wide range of flexibility in that the large slab may lbe broken into bricks of any desired size,l and even into individual sticks if preferred.'

It is believed that my invention and many of the inherent advantages will be underT stood and appreciated from the foregoing Without further description, and While I have shown and described a preferred method and apparatus, obviously the details thereof may be varied within'..considerable form a corrugated bed, and means for holding` said bars against displacement.

2. An apparatus for molding compound, comprising a pair of side members of angle formation, a series of angle bars disposed between and resting upon the horizontal flanges of said side members with the apices of said angle bars extending upwardly, and means for clamping said side members against the ends of saidangle bars to form a mold bed having a corrugated bottom with sides extending above the' crests of the corrugations.

3. A compound molding apparatus compri sing a series of angularmembers arranged in contiguous and `parallel relation with the closed angle uppermost to provide a mold bottom having alternate elevations anddepressions, and means for holding' said members against displacement. p

e. A compound molding apparatus comprising a series of structurally independent similarly shaped angular members, and

means for supporting` said menibers in inverted position so as to provide a mold bed adapted to receive a quantity of plastio material, said bed having alternate elevations and depressions to produce oorrugations in the lower face of said material.

5. A compound molding` apparatus oomprising a bed formed from a series of ang-le members arranged in parallelism in inverted position to produce elongated parallel l0 grooves in the lower face of a slab of plastic material disposed tliereover, and means for detaehably holding said members in predetermined position.

LYNDON F. VILSON. 

